Mangalore, November 27: Nearly 5,000 youths, officials and VIPs from across India will descend on this coastal city to participate in the 17th National Youth Festival that gets underway here from January 12, 2012. The state government in collaboration with Union Government is hosting this five-day festival, to which the organisers have extended an invitation to the President of India Prathibha Devisingh Patil to inaugurate. The last festival was held in Udaipur.
A high powered team of officials from Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports from central and state governments headed by Thanglemlian, deputy secretary, Union ministry of youth affairs and sports visited venues of the festival to oversee progress in hosting the event. Karnataka is hosting this national youth festival that started in 1995 for the first time, Thanglemlian told reporters here on Saturday. "We are satisfied with preparations at the venues," he said.
The President would give away the national youth awards to 25 individuals and one youth organisation. Each state has been directed to send 10 nominations for individual awards and five for youth organisation awards and this will be scrutinised by central selection committee headed by secretary of the department, he said, adding the best national youth organisation award would carry a purse of Rs 2-lakh and individuals awards Rs 40,000.
Highlight of the festival would be the inaugural function that would be held at Mangala Stadium here on January 12 where participants from 28 states and seven Union Territories would take part in a march past in their traditional attire. Competitions in classical dance, classical instrumental solo, classical music as well as folk dance, folk song and one act play and elocution would be held from January 13 to 15 and the valedictory on January 16.
Individual members in any group event would get Rs 5,000, second prize of Rs 3,000 and third prize of Rs 2,000 and winners of individual competition would get Rs 10,000, Rs 7,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively. Mega cultural programmes have been planned for January 13, 14 and 15. Plans have been drawn up to host adventure activities including hot air ballooning at Panambur beach and at Nehru Maidan.

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